Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Sunday, February 14, 2016

The oldest lighthouse in the world at Patara

In an earlier blog, I spoke about this most ancient lighthouse which I saw from a distance during my walking tour of Lycia (see: Wonderful Patara!). At that time, new excavations were underway and it seems that by now they have been finalized and the lighthouse is being exposed in all its glory.


Lighthouse Ruins, Patara, Turkey

For many years, it was thought that the lighthouse at La Coruna in Spain was the oldest in the world, but this record has been broken by this one in Patara by sixty years.

A large chunk of Patara was buried under the ever moving sand dunes and recently with great efforts major buildings like the theater and the Lycian Council (see: The World’s First Parliament Building) have been cleared – both looking brand-new. The latest work was carried out at the site of the lighthouse that must have stood 16-20 meters tall right at the entrance of the water channel leading to the harbor of Patara. It actually has Hellenistic features and an inscription around the base of the lighthouse, once carved in bronze, has been exposed. Also, the entrance and a spiral staircase are now visible to the brave visitor.

Lighthouse Engraving, Patara, Turkey

Archaeologists presently claim that this lighthouse was destroyed by a tsunami at some time in antiquity based on the human skeleton found among the ruins. This skeleton could be that of the lighthouse keeper who was crushed under the crumbling stones.

Further excavations are still ongoing at the Basilica, the Lima Hamam, the Palaestra, the city’s Acropolis and the Ancient Lycian waterway (see: A new Season of Excavations at Patara).

[Pictures from Turkey's for Life]

1 comment:

  1. The claim that this round lighthouse of Nero predates by 60 years a famous square lighthouse in Spain referred to as the Lighthouse of Herkules, This square Roman lighthouse in Spain is built on the foundations of an as yet earlier very ancient round lighthouse of Tyrean/ Phoenician design.

    ReplyDelete